Bent'S Fort

D.Blegen/M.Bacon

ISBN 10: 1562945262 ISBN 13: 9781562945268

Publisher: Millbrook Press, 1995

Recounts the rich history of the Santa Fe Trail, focusing on the Native American and Mexican cultures of the region, the role of fur trading, and daily life on the trail and at the trading post.

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From School Library Journal:

Grade 4-7-The Santa Fe Trail was a busy route and Bent's Fort provided goods and services for its traders and travelers. Personal accounts make the history of this bustling stop come alive. One such example is from the diary of Susan Magoffin, the first white woman to travel the trail. Bacon and Blegen have done a fine study of the fort itself. A comparatively huge structure for the time and place, it was built of adobe bricks with walls 15 feet high and 3 feet thick. An outbreak of cholera irrevocably damaged the Indian trade upon which the fort depended and William Bent abandoned it. Finally, reconstruction was begun in 1975 as part of Colorado's 1976 centennial celebration. The book is filled with photos, both black and white and full color. There's an amazing amount of information in this attractive volume.
Julie Halverstadt, Douglas Public Library District, Castle Rock, CO
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist:

Gr. 4^-6. The Santa Fe Trail, originating in Independence, Missouri, was a main overland route linking the U.S. with Mexico during the 1800s; Bent's Fort was one of the few trading posts along the way. Bacon and Blegan give the history of the site, including firsthand descriptions excerpted from the diaries of visitors. These comments, along with reproductions of period drawings and photos, offer a revealing look at life in southeastern Colorado circa 1846. A final chapter describes the archaeological excavations at the fort in the 1950s and 1960s and its reconstruction on the same site in 1976. The appended bibliography and index will aid report writers, making this a useful addition to classroom units on the westward movement or Colorado history. Kay Weisman

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